The Black Cat
by 3Mindy3
Summary: The Wicked Witch of the West has accepted that she doesn't need anybody, but how will she react when a new visitor arrives at her door late at night? MILD implied Fiyerba. Formally "Elphaba's Familiar"


**So last night (1/24/11) I was getting in bed and I was really tired. I walked in and my black cat was in my room, I got into bed and to my surprise she jumped up onto the bed and curled up by my feet. This was odd behavior because she hates people! I started wondering...Elphaba has the typical broom and hat, but no one ever mentioned her with the black cat.**

**Naturally I jumped up from my bed, forgetting how exhausted I was, and began writing this all down. I finished around 1:00AM. Imagine me writing this at midnight with a black cat at my side :)**

**The cat's name means: _The little dark one_**

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN WICKED! (maybe if I say it enough times I'll accept it)**

* * *

The Wicked Witch of the West ran her long green fingers over the smooth, cool glass of her crystal ball. Her fingers brushed against the sticky dust that had collected upon it, leaving trails behind. She frowned as she tried to make out the hazy image of swirling fog, to no avail. She let out a groan of frustration as the image faded and was lost, she threw her hands up in the air and began pacing around the tower—_her_ tower.

She hadn't been able to leave the tower to explore any more of the castle; if she went out she went out on her broom. She was perfectly fine with the solitude of her tall tower where no one could bother her. She didn't need anyone; the only company she wanted was her trusty broom and her flying monkeys. After all, the Wicked's lives are lonely. Everybody knows that.

The castle, was gigantic in size. Not that she would know, the only part of the castle she knew was her tower and what she saw as she entered it the first time in a blind panic.

_"I have a castle in Kiama Ko, you'll be safe there-"_

No. Elphaba closed her eyes tightly. That girl was dead, that part of her life was over. She was the Wicked Witch of the West now…she had accepted it. She slowly opened her eyes to see her faithful monkey companion perched upon the windowsill. She walked over to him and he greeted his Madame with a nod.

"Hello, Chistery," the young woman said while affectionately stroking one of his wings. He looked at her through pale gray eyes.

"Can you say _hello_, Chistery?" she asked hopefully, sounding out the word for him. He looked at her and scratched his head. He flexed his great wings uncomfortably and the witch could tell he was getting restless.

She offered her ally a small smile and patted his paw gently.

"Go on now, go stretch your wings," she said, making a shooing motion with her green hand.

"Off with you now, fly my pretty," she insisted. Chistery gave an obedient nod, turned his back to her, and took flight out the small tower window.

She crossed her arms and watched as he flew towards the setting sun, the sky soon becoming dotted with her other flying minions. All of them taking flight together for a few days of rest.

She watched out the window until her monkeys were out of sight and the sky grew dimmer and dimmer until dusk was upon the castle. Elphaba looked behind her shoulder at the empty room. It seemed darker and more quiet…lonelier. She paced for some time, every step echoing in the room.

She grew weary eventually and retired to her bed for the night, hoping her monkeys would be back sooner rather than later. The green woman tossed and turned for half the night in a fitful sleep before startling awake.

"Fiye-" she began to yell before slapping a hand over her own mouth to stop the word from escaping her lips. Gasping for breath, she put her hand to her chest and closed her eyes. When she caught her breath, she wrapped her arms about her trembling body as her raven hair curtained her face, as if she was hiding in shame.

Her head snapped up in an instant as she heard a sudden noise. It sounded like a scraping sound…or a _scratching_ sound. The sound came from right outside the door leading out to the rest of the castle.

She reached over to light a candle and cautiously walked over to her door, her heart beating. The scratching grew louder and faster and…for Oz's _sake_! She was the Wicked Witch of the _West_! She wasn't afraid of anything! She swung the door open, candle in hand, only to be greeted by darkness.

"Who treads there?" she called out, using her most intimidating 'witch' voice. Silence.

"Show yourself unless you want to be hexed!" she threatened again.

She jumped slightly when the silence was at last broken by a soft meow. She gasped when she looked down at her feet to see a bony, medium sized, cat with sleek fur as black as the nighttime. The cat looked up at her with large amber eyes before letting out another soft meow.

"Go on, away with you now!" Elphaba said, trying to shoo of the strange cat. It was a mystery how the cat even got _into_ the castle, let alone find the one room inhabited by a person.

"I said go _on_!" she said a bit louder. The cat, instead, walked up to her legs and brushed up against then. The young woman softened slightly and cautiously bent down to scratch the cat behind her ears. The cat began to purr contently, leaning against her hand. Elphaba felt her lips curve upwards in the first genuine smile she had had in a long time.

"Where did you come from, my sweet?" she asked softly, still scratching her ears. She stood up; the cat looked disappointed that she stopped petting her.

"Alright then, off you go then," she said quickly, walking back into her quarters. She heard the soft pitter patter of feet against the stone floor and she turned around to see that the cat had followed her into her room. She looked at Elphaba expectantly with her tail up.

"Dumb cat! Don't you know who I am?" she asked exasperatedly. The cat cocked her head to the side and took another step forward, purring softly.

Elphaba finally sighed and bent down to pick the cat up, cradling it softly in her arms. The cat purred louder and leaned against her hand as she petted her head. Elphaba couldn't bite back the small smile.

"You know you can't stay here, my pretty feline," she said quietly. The cat meowed softly, as if in protest, and nuzzled into Elphaba's chest.

"Well my sweet, I daresay you are the first creature to show me kindness in quite some time."

The next morning, Elphaba woke up to the sunlight streaming through her one window. She sat up in her bed, stretching her arms, and blinked when she saw the cat curled up in a ball at the foot of her bed. She sat up in her bed and frowned.

"You are a curious one, aren't you?" she murmured. The cat opened her eyes lazily and sat up, stretching her back for a moment before walking up to Elphaba and curling up on her lap. Elphaba sighed and began stroking the feline.

"Well I do believe you need a name…Keaira?" Keaira reacted positively to her new name and rest her chin on Elphaba's knee.

"So be it, Keaira."

For the entire day, Keaira followed Elphaba everywhere she went. If Elphaba took three steps, so did Keaira. Elphaba had to admit, she enjoyed the cat's company. The castle suddenly didn't seem as hushed.

At night when she awoke with a start again, screaming the forbidden name, Keaira came up to Elphaba and allowed her to pet her until she fell asleep again. The next morning, Elphaba looked into her crystal ball to check on her flying monkeys who were flying aimlessly somewhere in the Vinkus territory. She tried concentrating, but Keaira kept brushing against her legs, trying to get her attention.

"Keaira, _stop_," she said in a strained voice. The cat continued with her advances until she realized it was useless. The cat began to claw the hem of Elphaba's dress.

"Get off!" Elphaba said, shooing the cat away and going back to work. Keaira eventually stalked off to wander the room.

Elphaba was finally concentrated when she heard the cat jump up onto something. She whipped around to see Keaira perched on top of her open Grimmerie which was sitting on its stand. She cried in horror as she realized that the cat was batting something around with her paws. Her poppies. The dried poppies that she had kept pressed in her book for years were now being _shredded_ before her eyes. Her eyes widened as she saw the shredded petals that she had preserved for years crumble to the ground in a pile of dried bits.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING!" she cried desperately, running over and kneeling to the ground next to the flower remains.

"This was…THIS WAS ALL I HAD _LEFT_ OF HIM!" she cried angrily, so full of rage and grief. Keaira jumped off the pedestal and walked up to the kneeling witch. Elphaba's hands shook and tears clouded her vision as she futilely tried to repair the damage.

Keaira licked her green hand and Elphaba stood up hastily, brushing dried petals off her long dress. She pointed a long shaky finger towards the exit.

"OUT! GET _OUT_! I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOUR FACE!" she yelled at the tiny animal. The cat took a step back, startled by the angry tone. She gave one last look at Elphaba before bounding out the door and down the stone steps. Elphaba stood there for a moment.

"Wait…wait come back!" she yelled pathetically, rushing towards the door. She reached the exit but stopped, knowing she still couldn't face the castle her love had given her. She got there just in time to see Keaira's tail disappear around the corner, and she was gone.

Her chest tightened as she walked over to the Grimmerie and closed it, shredded poppies dusting the floor. She knew in her heart that she had scared that cat off for good…her little dark companion. Her temporary ally. Her _friend_.

Her monkeys returned the next day, and she greeted Chistery warmly at the window. She was pleased to have him back, but it wasn't quite the same.

_Goodness knows the Wicked's lives are lonely…perhaps it was better that way after all._


End file.
